I have been reading this forum and am getting conflicting information.

I am interested in a position at a langauge school in Cairo and I have seen some threads that say there are very little jobs at language schools and some that say there are lots. Are there jobs at language schools and if there are do they hire year round or mostly for September?

There are no job listings on daves. Where would I go about finding a job at a language school?
Does anybody know any reputable language schools?

By "language schools" do you mean the ones that give English lessons to all ages... or do you mean the K-12 schools that offer a bi-lingual program (in English or French or German)? I can't tell you about the second... as to the first...

The only language schools that do foreign hires and may advertise are British Council and AMIDEAST... and they don't have to do it much either as they can easily pick up local hires. (check their websites)

The smaller language schools all use local hires. If you hustle, you can pick up hours here and there... and then pick up private lessons. The biggest problem will be that you pay will likely be in Egyptian Pounds and it is often difficult to exchange them for other currency.

Next problem is that for most of these jobs, you would be working on a tourist visa. Not legal, but I know people who have been doing it for 20 to 30 years.

Perhaps Justcolleen can fill you on the other, if that is your interest.

Perhaps Justcolleen can fill you on the other, if that is your interest.

Did someone say my name?

Alright. I'll whip out my in-the-know, Principal secret: a fancy-pantsy web site with the scoop.

1.) http://oracle.advanc-ed.org/reporting/Locator.aspx
2.) Select "Egypt" from the drop-down menu
3.) Association: Select "AdvancED Schools Using CITA Protocol"
4.) Location: Select "Located Outside of the United States"
5.) Click on "Search" then WAIT because sometimes it takes a minute
6.) The search will return a report - an eight page report.
7.) Click "View PDF" at the top then SAVE the PDF because it will save you from having to search again.

The name of the school will tell you the type of school it is (i.e., Language, International, American, etc.). Many of these school have web sites listed. Some don't and they might be located with a simple google search. Some web sites are maintained better than others and virtually every school's web site has contact information.

All of the schools on the returned list are accredited, meaning they have to meet a rigerous set of standards. These are also the schools that are most likely (but not guaranteed because this is Egypt) to be credible in terms of how they treat their teachers and other staff. My own school is in the accreditation process and, I can tell you from personal experience, it's not easy. The standards are high and accrediting bodies are only interested in whether students are learning the best possible way.

As for resources, that's all I've got - and I think it's not too shabby.

Great source, but there are no guarantees that the places listed are ones where one would necessarily want to teach. I played around with a few Middle Eastern cities and all of them included Sabis. One still needs to check each place carefully.

Thanks guys for the info. justcolleen..thanks for giving step by step. It was extremely helpful. Most ppl would have just given the link.

Just to clarify, by language school I meant a school for all ages with English language classes, not a k-12 school. I am more interested in teaching adults or at least high school students. I have reads some posts that say that there are not many of these type of schools because English is part of the school curriculum.

I was wondering if there are many of these schools in Cairo and if they hire from abroad. I have read that if they hire locally, then you are paid as a local and not a foreign hire. I am also assuming that they donít pay for flights and accommodation.

I have a degree and a TESL certificate and I have about 2 years experience. Should I just come to Cairo and apply for jobs and what are my chances of getting a decent position?

I answered your questions above as to the type of 'language schools' that you want. Other than the two I mentioned, there are few foreign hires and yes, local hires get salary only and no benefits. But, I would guess that 90% of all language school EFL teachers in Egypt are either Egyptian or local hire expats. You have to hustle to make a living.

You could try n-sticks suggestion of googling and then calling. But I suspect that the best possibility is just going and applying in person. Be sure to have the money to support yourself for a few months because it may take you that long to find enough teaching hours to pay the bills.

This is a job that one takes for the experience of living in Egypt for awhile, certainly not to make much money.

Great source, but there are no guarantees that the places listed are ones where one would necessarily want to teach. I played around with a few Middle Eastern cities and all of them included Sabis. One still needs to check each place carefully.

VS

Taban.

However, some sort of oversight, other than a baksheesh happy Ministry of Education, official isn't a bad idea.

As you are looking through this list, be sure to click on the link provided by the school's name in order to see the school's accreditation status. Just because they are accredited now doesn't mean they haven't been "warned" or aren't "on probation". Those are the schools that are dodgy and you'll want to think twice before accepting employment with them.